Upon the ‘Aqīdah and Manhaj of the Salaf-us-Ṣâliḥ

Islam and Good Character – Shaykh al-Anjaree

Shaykh Muhammad Bin ‘Uthmaan al-Anjaree stated:

Islam has come to complete and perfect good character, but unfortunately many of us have yet to acknowledge this (behavioral) completeness that Allah has blessed the Muslims with. Due to this I wanted to (share) some of the legislative treasures and topics related to good character.
Verily Jaabir (radi allahu ‘anhu) said, that the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “Verily, the most beloved of you to me and the closest from amongst you to me on the Day of Judgment will be the best of you in character; while the most hated of you to me and the farthest from amongst you to me on the Day of Judgment will be those who talk excessively, the loud-mouthed and vulgarly flagrant individuals.” [Collected by at-Tirmidhee and graded authentic by al-Albani]

Imaam at-Tirmidhee (rahimahullah) said, “Al-Mutashaddiq refers to the one who excessively speaks about people in a filthy manner.”

Condemnation (and humiliating people) is also something which is dispraised by the Islamic legislation. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “If a slave girl commits fornication you must (first) verify and confirm that she has done so; if confirmed flog her and do not condemningly humiliate her; then if she commits fornication, flog her and do not condemningly humiliate her.” [Collected by al-Bukhari]

Concealing the sins of others is from the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). He (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to conceal people’s faults as well as assist in the concealment of faults.

“A man came to the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have transgressed and sinned, so establish the legal punishment upon me.’ Anas (radi allahu ‘anhu) said, ‘Then the salaah came in so the man prayed with the Messenger of Allah (and the believers).’ After the salaah the man again said, ‘O Messenger of Allah I have transgressed and sinned, so establish the legal punishment found in the book of Allah upon me.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Did you pray with us?’ The man said, ‘Yes.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Verily Allah has already forgiven you.’” [Collected by Muslim]

Another good character trait is fulfilling the rights of the neighbor even if the neighbor is a non-Muslim.

On the authority of Mujaahid (rahimahullah), a sheep was slaughtered for the family of ‘Abdullah Bin ‘Umar (radi allahu ‘anhu); when Ibn ‘Umar (radi allahu ‘anhu) came (home) he asked, “Did you give some to our Jewish neighbor? Did you give some to our Jewish neighbor? I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallalAllahu alaihi wa sallam) saying, ‘I have been advised about the rights of the neighbor until I thought he would inherit from me.’” [Collected by at-Tirmidhee and graded authentic by al-Albani]

Islaam also prohibits and warns against deception and cheating. The Most High says,

وَلَا يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلَّا بِأَهْلِهِ

“But the evil plot encompasses only him who makes it.” [Faatir: 43]

So he who is afflicted by being the recipient of someone’s deceptive evil plot must be patient and know that the final affair will be for the one who fears Allah. Just like that which has taken place with Yusuf (‘alaihis salaam), there was not for him except to be patient (which he was) and for him (‘alaihis salaam) was the final affair. So he who is afflicted by something of deceptive evil plots must be patient and know that the final affair will be for the one who fears Allah; and know that evil plots only encompasse (and truly harm) the evil plotters. And you will not find any change or alteration to Allah’s Sunnah.

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"The word of the Muslims will not be united until their minds, lives, libraries, schools and methodologies are purified from innovation and the people of innovation." (Kashfus-Sitaar pg. 66)

Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy upon him) stated:

"The more the person is closer to the Salaf and Imams (of the religion) the higher and better his word is." (Al-A'qeedah At-Tadmuriyyah pg 192)

Imam at-Tabari (may Allah have mercy upon him) narrated on the authority of Qataadah (may Allah have mercy upon him):

"You find the people of falsehood being different in their testimony, different in their desires, and different in their actions. At the same time, they are united in their enmity for the people of the truth." (Tafseer at-Tabari, vol. 3, p. 92)

Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy upon him) stated:

"Whoever loves a Shaykh that's in opposition the legislation he's with him. Therefore when he (the shaykh) is entered into the hell-fire he (the one who loved him) will be with him." (Majmoo' al-Fataawa 18/315)